Objective: To investigate the association between total level and type of alcohol consumed and glycaemia. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: The EPIC-Norfolk Study, a population-based cohort study of diet and chronic disease. Subjects and methods: Non-diabetic men (n ¼ 2842) and women (n ¼ 3572), aged 40 -78 y. Alcohol intake was assessed by self-reported questionnaire, and glycaemia measured by glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA 1c ). Results: Ten percent of men and 18% of women reported drinking no alcohol. Among drinkers, median alcohol intake was 8 units=week for men and 3 units=week for women. In analyses stratified by sex and adjusted for age, total energy intake, education, fruit and vegetable intake, smoking, family history of diabetes, physical activity, body mass index and waist:hip ratio, alcohol intake was inversely associated with HbA 1c in men and women, although the association was stronger in women. A 1 unit=week increase in alcohol intake was associated with 0.0049% (s.e. ¼ 0.00223; P-value ¼ 0.028) and 0.017% (s.e. ¼ 0.00343; P-value < 0.001) reduction in HbA 1c in men and women respectively. In similar multivariate analyses, wine intake was inversely associated with HbA 1c in men, and wine, spirits and beer intake were inversely associated with HbA 1c in women. When also adjusted for total alcohol intake, only the association between wine intake and HbA 1c in men remained significant. Conclusion: Alcohol intake was associated with lower HbA 1c level, an association not explained by confounding. The distinction between type of alcohol consumed was particularly important in men. Sponsorship: NJW is an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellow.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.